Christina Olson grew up in Maryland where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communication and Marketing from James Madison University. After college she worked as an Account Manager and Online Marketing Analyst in Washington DC before moving west to San Francisco. Working in the fast paced startup world in San Francisco, she gained valuable sales and marketing experience working for an e-commerce startup company. Her strengths lie in creating meaningful relationships with clients through the convergence of content and commerce.

Pivoting to real estate was a natural transition for Christina to use her Marketing background on Kauai. After visiting the island many times and being drawn to the active, healthy lifestyle that Kauai offers, she decided to move to the beautiful Garden Isle.  With 15 years of account management, online marketing and startup experience she has a strong understanding of how e-commerce and technology are an essential tool to sell real estate. She offers a fresh perspective to clients looking to sell their properties and a thorough, informed approach to buyers looking to buy a primary residence or investment property. In her free time, she enjoys adventuring around the islands and working part-time as a travel writer. She’s a firm believer in the mantra that you get out of this world what you put in.

Pearl Young, grew up in the remote valley of Wainiha on Kauai's north shore. This former Miss Teen Kauai, never let her humble beginnings curb her ambition. Pearl advanced to  the University Winchester in England on a scholarship. Once graduated, she taught at Auckland University, in New Zealand. After nearly a decade of traveling the world, Pearl finally came back home to settle back in her island paradise of Kauai.

 Since becoming a Hawaii state licensed real estate salesperson in 2010, Pearl has sold millions of dollars of real estate on the island of Kauai. Satisfied clients have appreciated the synergy of local knowledge combined with her business acumen and discreet professionalism. 

Joy Jonah brings over 32 years of professional real estate experience to the table for her clients, and to those she has mentored toward successful careers in the real estate industry. 

After extensive study in Real Estate Law and Investments, Joy obtained her real estate license in 1984, where she began working for a prestigious custom home and commercial builder in Sacramento, California.  Several years later, she and her family moved to the Bay Area, where she represented the sales and management of a large amount of private real estate assets. 

In 2005, drawn to the unique island lifestyle, and unsurpassed natural beauty that Kauai possesses, Joy and her family relocated to Hawaii.  Today she lives and works as a licensed Realtor, Investor, and Mentor on spectacular Kauai, Hawaii. 

Joy’s winning approach to closing real estate deals, coupled with exceptional service and attention to each and every one of her clients is the recipe to her success.  Joy's depth of real estate experience, and ability to foster solid relationships is what sets her apart from others.  She draws on her experience to assist her clientele smoothly through each of their real estate transactions. Joy also pays it forward by being a mentor others, passing on her knowledge, guiding them towards success, paying it forward. 

Joy specializes in investment real estate and property management for seasoned real estate investors. And has also assisted hundreds of Homebuyers in purchasing their first homes, dream homes, vacation homes, and has sold millions of dollars of residential homes and investment property for her Sellers. 

When you are ready for an extraordinary real estate experience in buying or selling real estate on the island of Kauai. Please contact Joy at her email, Joy@ResideKauai.com, or her mobile phone, 808-634-2008.  

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”  ~  Aristotle 

The DLNR is in the process of revising the EA based on public comments received  and will pursue the required permits for the project, including a County Special Management Area permit. The public comment period ended November 7th, 2016.

State Parks has identified a need to reduce the risk posed by flash flooding of Hanakapiai Stream to hikers on the Kalalau Trail and to the County and State personnel who respond to hikers needing emergency assistance.

The purpose of the project is to reduce this risk and the need for emergency missions to rescue stranded hikers. Because of the local topography, Hanakapaiai Stream is prone to flash flooding, causing many hikers to be unable to safely ford the stream and return to the trailhead. In recent years, the number of hikers becoming stranded by Hanakapiai Stream flooding has increased, as has the number of air and ground rescue missions.

A number of hikers have died trying to cross the stream in flooding conditions. In addition, rescue personnel put themselves at risk trying to help stranded hikers.

This pedestrian bridge would significantly decrease the risk of hikers attempting to ford a flooded stream and the danger posed to Kaua’i Fire Department (KFD) personnel and other rescue responders while minimizing the costs to the County of Kaua‘i for conducting such rescues. Hanakapiai Beach is one of the most dangerous beaches on the island, with at least 30 drownings occurring since 1970 (Blay 2011). Strong rip currents swiftly pull swimmers away from the beach and down the coast to the west, where there is no safe beach access for over 3 miles. Hikers who try to cross the stream at high water levels can get washed out to sea and get injured or can drown, such as the visiting hiker who drowned in February 2013 (Star Advertiser 2013).

The number of emergency calls to rescue hikers trapped on the far side of Hanakapiai Stream have increased in recent years, due to the increase in the number of hikers and their varying skill levels to safely traverse the trail. Visitation to Hanak?p??ai Beach and the Kalalau Trail has increased from 1,000 to 2,000 visitors daily.

The proposed bridge across the Hanakapiai Stream provides a practical response to the need to address the risks to both hikers and responders, and to reduce the financial and operational burdens on KFD. The pedestrian bridge intends to fill this need with minimal impacts on the cultural and natural environment in the N?pali Coast State Wilderness Park and is not expected to increase the current usage and visitation of the park.

The bridge would be painted with a dark brown powder coating and the estimated cost of the proposed bridge project, including abutments, micropiles, trail improvements, helicopter installation and construction, is $506,000.

About 50 feet of new trail is planned to connect the bridge to the existing Kalalau Trail.

Construction is expected to take 10 weeks, according to the project’s DEA, and is set to begin in early 2018.

The installation of a bridge would significantly reduce the need for costly and dangerous helicopter rescues and would allow for rescue personnel to access the far side of the stream during dangerous conditions.

Winter has arrived on Kauai and with that comes high surf and plentiful rain.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend Kauai experienced heavy rain resulting in flash flooding and road closures throughout the island.

Kuhio Highway at the Hanalei Bridge was closed due to flooding both Saturday and Sunday and The American Red Cross set up emergency shelter.

The Kalalau Trail was also closed due to flash flood threat.

Keep abreast of current weather conditions by visiting the County of Kauai Facebook page and listening to local radio for updates.

Artist rendering of proposed Hyatt's Unbound Collection - Coco Palms, Kauai

Construction on the $135 million redevelopment of the iconic Coco Palms Resort on Kauai’s East Shore is expected to start in January. 

Coco Palms Hui, who acquired the property for $23 million, is in the final stages of the $3.5 million demolition of the resort, which had been closed since being severely damaged by Hurricane Iniki in 1992.

The Honolulu-based developer gave an update on the project to stakeholders and others at an invitation-only event in Honolulu on Friday evening. The property will become a 350 room Hyatt branded resort, The Unbound Collection. 

WATG is the architect of record for the project with Ron Agor as an architectural consultant and project manager. A general contractor is expected to be selected in the next 30 to 45 days.

The project is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018.

Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU) has an interest in the project, and EB-5 funding is also being used to fund construction for the development. An EB-5 visa provides a way of obtaining a green card for foreign nationals who invest money in the U.S.

Several developers have tried to redevelop the well-known resort, which was featured in the 1961 Elvis Presley movie “Blue Hawaii.”

                                                               Hunt Development Group image

Construction is slated to begin next week on the long-planned 47,000-square-foot grocery-anchored neighborhood shopping center in Kilauea on Kauai’s North Shore.

After several years of planning, Texas-based Hunt Development Group said construction is expected to be completed on the 6-acre Kilauea Lighthouse Village in front of the Kilauea Post Office along the road to the Kilauea Lighthouse around November 2017. 

The center will be anchored by The Market at Kilauea, a 10,000-square-foot grocery store that is owned by the Sullivan Family of Cos., which owns The Foodland and Food Pantry stores. 

Residents of Kileaua received a letter from Steve Colon, president of Hunt’s Hawaii Division, who said the center’s buildings will have an old Hawaii plantation town look that aims to complement the surrounding historic structures. 

He said space for lease is now available, and focused on local and statewide businesses to include restaurants, services, small shops and offices.

“It is our hope that Kilauea Lighthouse Village will serve as a community gathering place for all to shop and socialize,” Colon said.

An Alexander & Baldwin Inc. subsidiary that is part of Kukuiula Development Co., the company overseeing the 1,010-acre private luxury golf community on Kauai’s South Shore, is actively expanding the product line at the master-planned resort project. 

The types of homes included in the development include one-bedroom duplexes, two-bedroom homes, two-bedroom stacked flats and much larger homes.

Kukui'ula, a 1,000-acre master-planned resort residential community, is located on the sunny southern coast of Kauai, adjacent to the renowned Poipu resort. This community includes an 18-hole championship golf course, clubhouse, spa and commercial centers, and residential units with ocean views and golf course frontage. This master-planned community is being developed by a joint venture with A&B and DMB Associates, Inc., a real estate development company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. DMB has developed several large, high-quality, complex master-planned communities in Arizona, California and Utah, with an emphasis on golf and recreational resort properties.

Based on the feedback received after the August 2015 presentation of the Draft Ha’ena State Park Master Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (IES), the following changes have been made to the plan: 

1.   The education center and caretaker’s cottage have been deleted. A smaller welcome hale is all that will be located at the entrance and is envisioned as a thatched open traditional style hale.

2.   New restrooms for men and women (located to the right of the welcome hale, but separate).

3.   The interpretive path is now a pedestrian-only path and its alignment is shifted mauka new Ke'e to better direct people towards the beach areas overseen by the lifeguards. The loop path through the lo’i back to the entrance has also been deleted.

4.   The main parking area is separated into a fee-paying lot and a non-fee paying lot that can be adjusted in size as needed. 

The only new features to the park will be:

·      Entry turnaround with shuttle stop

·      Formalized parking lot with kiosk

·      Welcome hale

·      Pedestrian path

·      Parking area bathrooms

·      Cultural gathering area with halau wa’a and traditional hale

For more information, please check the Hawai’i State Parks website